Altiplano chinchilla mouse

The Altiplano chinchilla mouse ( Chinchillula sahamae ) is a rodent in the high Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. It is the only species of the genus Chinchillula. She lives on the Altiplano at altitudes of 3500-5000 m and is there associated with other specialized rodents of the high mountains, such as Puna mice and rabbits mice.

The body length is 13 to 18 cm, added a 9 to 11 cm long tail. The coat color is gray-brown and black on the upper side, the underside is white as snow, but black stripes extend to the hips down. The coat is silky soft and reminiscent of the Chinchillas, with which these Neuweltmaus but is not related. This property ensures that Chinchilla Chinchillas are like mice caught in traps. The coat is in the international fur trade without meaning, but is processed regionally dresses. By trapping the species is regionally become very rare, so it is nearly extinct, for example, in Chile. Overall, their population is, however, not threatened.

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